# US 10,503,240 B1 · Power supply architecture for USB-C controllers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,240 B1 - Document ID: US10503240B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/139,974 - Filed: 2018-09-24 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-21 - Assignees: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation - Applicants: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation - Inventors: Nicholas Alexander Bodnaruk; Anup Nayak; Pavan Kumar Kuchipudi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503240B1 ## CPC - G06F 1/3253: {Power saving in bus} - G06F 1/266: {Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips} - G06F 13/385: {for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices} - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - G06F 2213/0042: Universal serial bus [USB] - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A power supply architecture for USB Type-C controllers is described herein. In an example embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) controller comprises a power rail, a VDDD terminal, a VCONN terminal, and a VBUS terminal. The VDDD terminal, the VCONN terminal, and the VBUS terminal are coupled to the power rail, where a VCONN switch is coupled between the VCONN terminal and the power rail, and a VBUS regulator is coupled between the VBUS terminal and the power rail. The power rail is coupled to internal circuits of the IC controller and is configured to provide operating power to the internal circuits from any one of the VCONN terminal and the VBUS terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit (IC) controller for a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C device, the IC controller comprising: a power rail coupled to internal circuits of the IC controller; and a VDDD terminal, a VCONN terminal, and a VBUS terminal that are coupled to the power rail, wherein: a VCONN switch is coupled between the VCONN terminal and the power rail; and a VBUS regulator is coupled between the VBUS terminal and the power rail; wherein the power rail is configured to provide operating power to the internal circuits of the IC controller from any one of the VCONN terminal and the VBUS terminal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The IC controller of claim 1, wherein the VCONN terminal is operable to withstand an input voltage of at least 20V. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The IC controller of claim 1, wherein the VBUS regulator comprises: one or more cascoded p-type field effect transistors (PFETs) coupled between the VBUS terminal and the power rail, wherein the one or more cascoded PFETs are configured to reduce a voltage from the VBUS terminal to less than 5V; and one or more drain-extended n-type field effect transistor (DENFETs) coupled between the VBUS terminal and one or more low-voltage circuits of the VBUS regulator, wherein the one or more DENFETs are configured to provide high-voltage protection to the low-voltage circuits. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The IC controller of claim 1, wherein the VBUS terminal is configured for an input voltage between 3.0V and 24.5V. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The IC controller of claim 1, wherein the VCONN switch comprises: a drain-extended n-type field effect transistor (DENFET) coupled between the VCONN terminal and the power rail; and a pump switch coupled to a gate of the DENFET. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The IC controller of claim 5, the VCONN switch further comprises: a resistor coupled between the VCONN terminal and the gate of the DENFET; and a diode clamp coupled between the gate of the DENFET and ground. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The IC controller of claim 5, further comprising an ESD circuit coupled between the VCONN terminal and the gate of the DENFET. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The IC controller of claim 3, wherein the one or more PFETs are 5V transistors and the one or more DENFETs are 20V transistors. ### Claim 9 A Universal Serial Bus (USB) device comprising: a USB Type-C connector comprising a VBUS line and a VCONN line; and an integrated circuit (IC) controller comprising: a VDDD terminal; a VCONN terminal coupled to the VCONN line of the USB Type-C connector; a VBUS terminal coupled to the VBUS line of the USB Type-C connector; and a power rail coupled to internal circuits of the IC controller; wherein the VDDD terminal, the VCONN terminal, and the VBUS terminal are coupled to the power rail, and wherein: a VCONN switch is coupled between the VCONN terminal and the power rail; and a VBUS regulator is coupled between the VBUS terminal and the power rail; wherein the power rail is configured to provide operating power to the internal circuits of the IC controller from one of the VCONN terminal and the VBUS terminal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The USB device of claim 9, wherein the IC controller is operable to withstand an input voltage of at least 20V on the VCONN terminal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The USB device of claim 9, wherein the IC controller is configured to receive an input voltage between 3.0V and 24.5V on the VBUS terminal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The USB device of claim 9, wherein the USB device is a USB Type-C cable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The USB device of claim 9, wherein the USB device comprises a power adapter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The USB device of claim 9, wherein the USB device comprises a power bank. ### Claim 15 A method of operating an integrated circuit (IC) controller in a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C device, the method comprising: receiving input voltage on one of a VCONN terminal and a VBUS terminal of the IC controller; wherein the IC controller comprises the VCONN terminal, the VBUS terminal, a VDDD terminal, and a power rail coupled to internal circuits of the IC controller, wherein the VDDD terminal, the VCONN terminal, and the VBUS terminal are coupled to the power rail, and wherein: a VCONN switch is coupled between the VCONN terminal and the power rail; and a VBUS regulator is coupled between the VBUS terminal and the power rail; and providing, via the power rail, operating power to the internal circuits of the IC controller from the one of the VCONN terminal and the VBUS terminal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the input voltage comprises receiving a voltage of at least 20V on the VCONN terminal as a result of a short event between the VCONN terminal and the VBUS terminal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the input voltage comprises receiving a voltage between 3.0V and 24.5V on the VBUS terminal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the input voltage comprises receiving a voltage of more than 5V on the VBUS terminal, and the method further comprises the VBUS voltage regulator reducing the voltage on the VBUS terminal down to less than 5V on the power rail. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising operating the VCONN switch and the VBUS regulator in a voltage range between 3.0V and 24.5V. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising limiting an output voltage from the VCONN switch to the power rail to no more than 6V during the short event.